charlatan

1 of 2

noun (1)

char·​la·​tan ˈshär-lə-tən 

1

: quack entry 4 sense 2

charlatans harming their patients with dubious procedures

2

: one making usually showy pretenses to knowledge or ability : fraud, faker

… a charlatan willing to do and say virtually anything to remain in the spotlight.

—Alan Brinkley

charlatanism

ˈshär-lə-tə-ˌni-zəm 

noun

charlatanry

ˈshär-lə-tən-rē 

noun

charlatanism

2 of 2

noun (2)

char·​la·​tan·​ism ˈshär-lə-tə-ˌni-zəm 

plural -s

: charlatanry

the dross of fraud and charlatanism

—Lewis Mumford

Did you know?

In medieval Italy, people roamed throughout the land selling fake remedies and making false claims about their healing abilities. Many of these pretenders reputedly came from a village called Cerreto, and as a result, cerretano (meaning “inhabitant of Cerreto”) became an epithet for a quack physician. In addition, these frauds used a practiced patter to attract customers, like the chatter of a circus barker. The Italian word for “to chatter” is ciarlare, and chattering was so associated with the cerretano that the spelling of the word shifted to ciarlatano. By the early 17th century, English speakers had anglicized the Italian word to charlatan and adopted it as their own.

Synonyms of charlatan

Noun (1)

• fraud
• sham
• fake
• pretender
• quack
• deceiver
• mountebank
• misleader
• faker
• impostor

Examples of charlatan in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the famed faith healer turned out to be a charlatan

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Others estimate that $500 billion in federal spending is diverted by charlatans each year. —Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 7 June 2026

To this day, a portion of the left-wing Democratic elite views Obama as a charlatan who hoodwinked their voters into supporting him. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026

The 21st century’s obstacles for young men—as seen in deaths of despair and lagging employment—have been amply publicized both by credible journalists and by charlatans such as Fuentes. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026

Carl Sagan's baloney detection kit taught us how to separate good science from the work of charlatans. —Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Italian ciarlatano, alteration of cerretano, literally, inhabitant of Cerreto, from Cerreto, Italy

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1618, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

charlatan

noun

char·​la·​tan ˈshär-lə-tən 

: a person who pretends to have knowledge or ability

Etymology

Noun

from Italian ciarlatano "charlatan," an altered form of cerretano (same meaning), literally, "inhabitant of Cerreto (village in Italy)"

Word Origin

In the early 16th century people claiming medical skills they did not really have wandered throughout Italy. They sold medicines of little or no value. Because many of these fakers came from a village called Cerreto, the name cerretano, meaning "inhabitant of Cerreto," became a general name for a medical faker. Such people always had a line of talk to help them sell their products. Through the influence of the Italian word ciarlare, meaning "to chatter," the word cerretano, when used to refer to these fakers, became ciarlatano. It is from this word that we get our English charlatan.

Medical Definition

charlatan

noun

char·​la·​tan ˈshär-lət-ən 

: quack